Suspect in wife's death was fired recently

Oxnard man who killed himself had sued former employer over dismissal

The Oxnard man suspected of killing his estranged wife before committing suicide Sunday had been fired from his job of 18 years in late 2007 and sued the company less than two months ago, according to court documents.

Jesus Cisneros, 46, filed a wrongful termination suit Jan. 23 in Ventura County Superior Court. The suit claims the truck driver was fired by Delaware-based Con-Way Freight Inc. as retaliation for complaints he made to supervisors and state agencies about alleged racial discrimination, harassment and workplace hazards, according to court documents.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies found Cisneros dead in his pickup truck on the side of a rural road Sunday morning. Authorities determined he died from multiple self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Oxnard police later found his estranged wife, Veronica Cisneros, 44, strangled in his Oxnard home. She had filed for divorce in 2005 after 23 years of marriage, according to court documents.

Relatives have declined to comment this week on the apparent murder-suicide, and police have not speculated on a possible motive.

&quot;There was no indication to me that this situation is in any way related to the lawsuit,&quot; said Nicolas Vrataric, the Ventura lawyer who was representing Cisneros in the wrongful termination case.

Vrataric said the estate will have to decide whether to continue pursuing the claims.

Con-Way issued a short statement Wednesday about the apparent murder-suicide.

&quot;We have been in contact with local investigators and have offered our cooperation and assistance,&quot; said Con-Way spokesman Gary Franz, reading from the statement. &quot;This is a tragic incident, and our sympathies go out to the family.&quot;

Cisneros began working for Con-Way as a truck driver in August 1989. He was fired in November, less than two years before he would have been eligible for pension benefits, according to the lawsuit. The suit says Cisneros was fired on the false pretext of falsifying time cards.

It claims a supervisor at Con-Way's Oxnard office first tried to fire him several years ago, after he complained to company representatives that co-workers and bosses were targeting him with personal insults and slurs about his Mexican heritage. The suit alleges Cisneros also faced retaliation for filing a complaint with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration about emissions from diesel forklifts in a Con-Way warehouse.

The suit says Cisneros filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the supervisor's attempt to fire him. Although Con-Way conducted an investigation, Cisneros alleged that harassment and retaliation, such as excessive reprimands, continued.

Cisneros claimed he notified the company's safety and human resources departments about alleged accidents, safety violations and suspected employee thefts a month before he was fired.

The suit calls for compensation for damages, including lost wages, mental anguish and severe emotional distress.

In documents filed with the court Feb. 22, Con-Way says the claims are false. Con-Way representatives declined Wednesday to comment on the litigation because it was still ongoing.